Latch



July 25, 1961 B. J. CRAIG LATCH Filed May 27. 1958 24 mg 7 //2 /o/ /4 l2 INVENTOR.

2,993,358 LATCH Burnie J. Craig, 1042 La Presa Drive, Pasadena, Calif. Filed May 27, 1958, Ser. No. 738,076 1 Claim. (Cl. 70-153) lThis invention relates to a door latch and the general object of the invention is to provide an improved latch which is adapted for general use as on building doors but which is particularly adapted for use on the door of an automotive vehicle.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide door latching means including a novel latch bolt.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel lllolt operating device for use in a door latch assem- A further object of the invention is to provide a novelly mounted latch bolt.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel latch bolt strike.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel strike and dovetail for use with a latch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel latch bolt locking means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a door lock which includes novel means for causing the bolt to move to release position.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel spring mounting for urging the bolt of a door latch to engaged position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door latch wherein a locking member is pivotally mounted and wherein the locking member has portions thereon operable from within and from without the door to permit the locking member to be moved to and from locking position.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby when the locking member is in locked position and the door is closed the locking member will be moved to unlocked position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation showing the improved latch;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2, FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3, FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4 4, FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the invention is shown as embodied in a lock which is indicated generally at 10. As shown, the lock includes an `attaching base portion 11, which may be held on the end of a door 11 by screws 11" which engage in threaded nuts 12 secured to the base.

The base 1.1 includes a short outer flange 13 which is adapted to be disposed adjacent to the outer wall of the door on which the lock is mounted. The base also includes an inner ange 14 which is disposed adjacent to the inner wall of the door on which the lock is mounted.

The base 11 is provided with a circular hole 15 which receives a shaft 16. A bolt member 17 is shown as provided with a circular hole 18 which receives the shaft 16. The bolt is shown as held on the shaft by means of a pin 19 which passes through the bolt.

The outer end portion 20` of the shaft is supported in an aperture 21 in an abutment member 22 (to be later described) and the eXtreme outer end of the shaft projects slightly beyond the outer portion of the abutment 22.

The inner end portion of the shaft 16, inside the base 11 is of reduced size to provide a shoulder 24 and isV Patented July 25, i961 squared as at 25. This squared portion 25 lits in a. similarly squared portion on a bolt release member 26. At the inner end of the shaft beyond the portion 25 the shaft is rounded as at 25 and receives a spring holding sleeve 26'. The extreme inner end of the shaft is riveted over at 27 to hold the sleeve 26' in place and to hold the release member 25 against the shoulder 24 to prevent rotation relative between the shaft and release member.

A washer 28 which fits tightly on the shaft 16 spaces the bolt 17 from the base 11.

The abutment member 22 as shown, has tongues 31 thereon which engage in slots in the base 11 to hold the abutment member 22 in place. The abutment member 22 has an upper portion 30 which includes a stepped shoulder 31. The abutment also has a lower portion 32. The portions 30 and 32 are joined at one end by an end portion 33. The other end of the abutment is open and in this open portion the elongated body portion 34 of the bolt 17 is mounted. The bolt has a projecting tooth 35 which is generally in the shape of a gear tooth. This tooth projects below the portion 32 of the abutment and is adapted to engage a strike 37, to be presently described.

The outer portion 22 of the abutment is disposed parallel to the base 11 and as previously stated receives the end portion of the belt shaft 16 to support the bolt shaft. It will thus be seen that the bolt shaft, and in turn the bolt, is supported between two spaced, rigidly connected, members 11 and 22, so that the bolt is held against a shifting of its axis.

The bolt may be made of suitable metal, plastic or other material, is preferably of uniform thickness throughout its length and when in engaged position its upper straight surface is inclined downwardly, as shown in FIG. 4, and when in strike disengaging position the upper surface of the bolt is substantially horizontal.

The strike 37 comprises a general C-shaped member which has parallel front and rear faces 40 and 41 and has spaced upper and lower jaw forming portions 42 and 43 joined by a vertical portion 44. Screws 45 which pass through the strike and engage in threaded apertures in the door pillar serve to hold the strike in operative position.

As shown, the upper jaw portion 42 has a recess 46 therein, which receives a sliding wedge member 47 mounted on a pin 48. A spring 49 surrounding the pin 48 and disposed in a recess 50 in the wedge 47 is arranged to constantly urge the wedge 47 forwardly. As shown, the upper surface of the wedge 47 slidably engages the lower surface of the recess 46 of the jaw 43.

As it moves to engaged position the bolt tooth 35 first engages a tooth 52 on the lower jaw of the strike and then as the door closes it engages another tooth 51 on the strike. In advance of the tooth 52 the strike is inclined downwardly at 53.

In use when the door is being closed the abutment member 30 moves between the jaws 42 and 43 of the strike and the tooth 35 on the bolt engages the inclined portion 53 of the strike and rocks the bolt so that the tooth 35 passes over the tooth 52 and drops behind the tooth 52 to hold the door in safety latched position. Further inward movement of the door causes the tooth 35 of the bolt to engage and be rocked by the second tooth 51 until the bolt moves suiciently to allow it to drop behind the tooth 51 whereupon the bolt has moved to fully engaged position as shown in FIG. 4 and the door is latched.

While this is occurring the stepped shoulder 31 on the portion 30 of the abutment moves to engage a forward stepped corner 57 on the sliding wedge 47 to thus move the wedge 47 rearwardly against the tension of the spring 49. When the bolt is engaged the sliding wedge is constantly urged outwardly by its spring to thus hold the parts in tightly clamped relation. When the door is fully closed andthe bolt engaged behind the tooth 52, the portion 32 of the abutment engages a portion 55 of the strike and the stepped portion 31 of the abutment engaging the part 57 of the wedge 47 serves to thus hold the parts in tight engagement.

The bolt shaft being supported by the base 11 and by the abutmentr22 cannot move upwardly or downwardly and the door cannot open because of the engagement of the bolt tooth behind the strike tooth. The parts are thus held in tightly closed relationship and the thrust upon the bolt is directed towards the axis of the bolt shaft. In other words, the bolt is in compression.

As shown, the curvature of the bolt tooth 35 at 6@ and the curvature of the strike tooth 51 at 61 in their areas of engagement are on arcs R of substantially equal radii.

The inner face of the tooth 52 has a surface 62 on an arc of radius R equal to the radii of the curvature at 60 and 61. Thus the portion 60 of the bolt tooth 35 engages the portion 62 of the tooth 52in an area of equal radius of curvature when the bolt is in safety latched position.

The construction of bolt, abutment and strike is such that the bolt shaft and the bolt cannot raise from the engaged position and the parts are held in tightly closed position without aid of any dog or similar device and yet they are free to be moved when desired.

The release member 26 is angular in shape and includes an upwardly directed portion 63 and a crank portion 64 which is disposed substantially at a right ang-le to the portion 63.

The sleeve 26' slidably receives the coils of a spring 66. One end of the spring engages a tongue 67 on the release member and the other end of the spring engages a tongue 68 on the base 11. The spring normally urges the release member in an anti-clockwise direction in FIG. 1, so that the bolt is normally urged towards its strike.

The release member is adapted to be rocked by the actuating member 69 which includes a plane body portion 70 which slides through a slot 70' in the ange 13. The actuating member has an upwardly directed end portion 70" which is adapted to be engaged by an operating member such as a push button member 72 which may be mounted in a door handle.Y

The actuating member 69 is slitted as at 73 and the resultant tongue is bent up to form a tongue 73. A headed pin 74 mounted on the base 11 fits in the slot `from which the tongue 73 is bent and serves to guide the inner end of the actuating member.

The upper portion of the release member 26 is bent as atY 75 and is raised as at 76 so that it passes over the actuating member and over the actuating member guide pm.

The tongue 73 on the actuating member 26 engages the portion 76 of the release member so that when the actuating member is moved to the right in FIG. 1, the release member will be rocked to free the bolt from its strike so that the door may be opened.

A locking member is shown at 80. This locking member includes a flat body 81 which is mounted on a shaft 82 carried on the flange 14.

The locking member S rocks about the `axis of the shaft 82 from locked to unlocked position. The locking member includes as integral blocking portion 83 which has a bent up tongue S4 thereon which when the locking member is in locked position, shown in FIG. 2, is adjacent to the base 10. This portion 84 when in the locking position shown in FIG. 2, is in the path of the actuating member 70 and prevents forward movement of the actuating member to bolt releasing position. When the member is moved to unlocked position the part S3 is raised from the base so that the actuating member 70 may pass thereunder when it is pushed forward by the push button member 72.

The locking member includes an integral inside locking arm portion 88 which is spaced from the base flange 14 to receive a snap on spring 89 which engages the flange 14 and the locking arm portion S8 and serves to hold the locking arm in either locked or in unlocked position. The locking arm portion S8 in its unlocked position engages a tongue 90 on the flange 14 and in its locked position engages a tongue 91 on the same flange.

The inside locking arm is adapted to be moved upwardly to unlocked position or downwardly to locked position by an operating rod 92 which has a bent end 93 which passes through a hole in the arm. A resilient clip 94 which includes a tip 95 passing through a hole in the rod 92 and also includes a loop portion 97 which engages the rod 92 serves to hold the rod 92 in place.

The locking member S0 has an integral outside operated locking arm 98 which extends therefrom. This outside locking arm 98 moves across the lower part of the ange 14 and has a pair of spaced flanges 99 thereon which serve as stilfening members and provide a channel 100.

In the channel 100 a cam member is mounted. This cam member includes a body 101 mounted to rotate in a hole in the flange 14. The body 101 has an arm 102 extending therefrom. The arm has a cam head 103 thereon which is adapted to engage either of the anges 99 to rock the inside locking arm to and from its locked position. The member 101 has a square hole therein which receives a square locking member 105 mounted on the locking barrel of a key operated lock 106. Details of the key operated lock form no part of this invention as such locks are in wide use.

In order to rock the release member 76 and free the bolt from Within the vehicle, I provide `an inside operator release member 110, which is pivoted as at 111 upon the flange 14. The member has a lower arm 112, an upper arm 113 and a lateral arm 114.

The lower arm 112 has a transverse slot 115 therein in which the bent end 116 of a remote control member or rod 117 is positioned. A clip 118 similar to the clip 94 previously described, serves to hold the rod 117 in place. The rod 117 is adapted to be moved to the right in FIG. 2 by an inside remote control device such as a handle (not shown).

The upper arm 113 of the inside release member 110 is provided at its upper end with forks 119 and 120. The fork 119 normally engages the tongue 91 on the flange 14 to limit its motion in a clockwise direction. The upper end of the fork 119 passes under the inside locking arm as shown in FIG. 2. The fork 120 has an upstanding tongue 121 thereon, which when the member 110 is rocked engages a cam surface 122 on the lower surface 0f the inside locking arm and cams this arm upwardly from locked position shown in FIG. 2 and into engagement with the tongue 90 in its unlocked position.

The lateral arm 114 is bent up at 114 so that it extends over the locking arm and has a notch 125 in its outer end. 'This notch receives a tongue 126 bent up from the portion 64 of the release member 26. When the remote control rod 117 is moved to the right in FIG. 2, the inside release member 110 will be rocked and this will through the tongue and slot engagement at 125, 126

' rock the release member 26 to free the bolt.

This action occurs regardless of whether the locking member is in locked or in unlocked position. For example, when the locking member is unlocked, the cam 122 will be raised and will be out of the path of the tongue 121. When, however, the locking member i-s locked, as in FIG. 2, movement of the member 110 will through the camming action of the parts 121, 122 raise the locking arm to unlocked position and will simultaneously through the parts 125, 126 rock the bolt releasing member to bolt releasing position.

The locking member 80 is shown as provided with a tongue 130 which passes through a base slot 131 and projects beyond the edge of the door, not shown. This tongue 130 when employed is used for coincidental locking as described in the applicants co-pending application Ser. No. 738,075 filed May 27, 1959.

After the bolt has moved to fully engaged position as described above, the bolt and strike will be in the relative position shown in FIG. 4.

When the bolt is engaged and the locking member 80 is in locked position as in FIG. 2, the blocking locking portion 83 -is in the path of the actuating member 69, so that the push button 72 cannot be operated to rock the releasing member 26.

When, however, the locking member is in locked position, the remote control member 117 may be moved to the right in FIG. 2 as by an inside handle (not shown). This will rock the inside release member 110 in an anticlockwise direction to cause the arm 114 to move downwardly in FIG. 2, thus rocking the tongue 126 on the release member in a clockwise direction to thus move the bolt 17 to disengaged position.

To prevent the vehicle operator from being locked out of the vehicle should the door be closed while the parts are in the position shown in FIG. 2, the restoring mechanism which includes the cam parts 121 and 122, will be elective to move the locking member to unlocked position. This occurs because with the parts in the position shown in FIG. 2, should the door be closed, the bolt 17 would engage the strike and would be rocked in a clockwise direction. This would rock the arm 126 which is unitary with the bolt and would cause the portion 64 of the releasing member to move downwardly in FIG. 2, this through the tongue and slot connection 125 and 126 would rock the arm 114 in an anti-clockwise direction. This would cause the cam tongue 121 to engage the cam surface 122 to rock the locking arm portion 88 upwardly into engagement with the tongue 90 to thus move the locking member to unlocked position.

When the locking member is in unlocked position and is raised the actuating member portion 70 may move forwardly when the push button member 72 is moved to the right in FIG. 2. This causes the tongue 73 on the actuating member to engage the portion 63 of the release member to rock the release member to bolt releasing position. As the bolt is thus released the lower arm 112 of the inside release member through the tongue, slot connection 125, 126 is rocked in anti-clockwise direction in FIG. 2 and the end 116 of the remote control member 117 moves idly in the slot 116.

The spring 66 normally urges the portion 64 of the release member upwardly in FIG. l so that the tongue 126 engages the upper wall of the slot 127. 'This tends to rock the inside release member 110 in a clockwise direction and thus urges the tongue 119 against the tongue 91. This arrangement prevents rattle of the actuating member or the inside release member.

The spring 66 urges the actuating member 69 to the left in FIG. 1 so that the end of the slot 73 engages the pin 74. This prevents rattling of the actuating member.

The snap over spring 89 urges the locking arm against the tongue 90 or the tongue 91 so that the actuating member cannot rattle. Thus all the operating parts of the lock are held against rattle.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

In an automobile door lock, a base adapted to be secured upon the end of a door, an elongated bolt including a body portion disposed on one side of said base, said bolt body portion including an integral tooth adapted to engage a strike, means pivotally supporting said bolt body portion on the base, an actuating member mounted on the base for movement to bolt releasing position, a bolt releasing member integral with the bolt body portion and disposed on the other side of the base, said bolt releasing member including an integral arm portion engageable with the actuating member for rocking the releasing member to move the bolt from strike engaging position when the actuating member is actuated, said bolt body portion including a crank portion, said actuating member having an integral blocking portion, a flange on said base, a locking member pivoted on said llange, means to releasably hold said locking member in locked and in unlocked position, said locking member having an integral blocking portion thereon movable into the path of said actuating member blocking portion when the locking arm is in said locked position and being out of the path of the blocking portion when the locking member is in unlocked position, said locking member having an integral" arm thereon, a cam member mounted on said flange, coacting means on said cam member and on said locking member arm and in direct engagement with each other for moving the locking member arm and locking member conjointly to and from locked position, key operated lock controlled means accessible from without the vehicle for moving the cam member to and from locked position, an inside operator pivoted on said ilange, said inside operator including a lower arm adapted to be connected to an inside releasing means, said inside operator including a lateral arm, coacting means on said lateral arm and said actuating member crank portion for moving the bolt releasing member when the inside operator is actuated, and an inside lock member operating rod engaging said locking member and operative to move the locking member to and from locked position.

References Cited in the file of this patent l UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,597,510 Carrier Aug. 24, 1926 2,143,965 Van Voorhees I an. 17, 1939 2,700,565 Smith Ian. 25, 1955 2,738,212 Wise Mar. 13, 1956 2,791,459 Roethel May 7, 1957 2,797,571 Bargman July 2, 1957 2,804,331 Cour-tot Aug. 27, 1957 

